I have had the urge to own a takedown longbow for several years. I prefer the 2 piece not 3 piece. For those of you who have either a 2 or 3 piece how often do you break it down? Is it really absolutely needed for trips where you are flying or is it just a convenience thing? Thanks for replies. Flint
The other advantage is that if you want another set of limbs in a different poundage you can do it. If you travel with the bow or pack in on horse of foot the bow will take up less room in length as a 3 piece. I also like the little extra weight when shooting a 3 piece. Seems to absorb some of the vibration and it sits nicely in the hand.
As Snag said, also you can put a bow in your luggage and not be charged extra for it. If you have two one in each suitcase if one gets lost you have a backup.
They are not notced by handlers .
I have never taken my bow down but have never went out of state to hunt. YET...
Tim
I don't take mine down and I have yet to own two sets of limbs for one riser. I always end up with a whole bow so there are no lonely limbs sitting around. It would be handy if going on an airplane but other than that no, not in my opinion.
2pc mohawks, only take'em apart for flying, they go right in my big hunting duffle bag, in their own pvc tubes, well protected. sure beats a separate, big, long bow tube and the added luggage costs. just gotta hope my luggage arrives with me when i land.
gotta love the 2pc longbows.
I actually do take mine down quite alot, as I tend to ride my Harley to as many summer 3D shoots as possible... short bows sure make passing a car less of a hazard. :wavey:
We're always running around somewhere in vehicles dragging a bow and loading one piece bows is always concerning... I have one three piece recurve,it comes apart to save space when traveling if we're a crowd. Being able to lock it in a fire proof Browning vault is the first reason I like a T/D.
Rusty
I have quite a few 3 piece take down recurve and I take them down alot. Not only after it rains to dry every nook and cranny but if I want to go hunting some day during the week but don't want to leave the bow in the truck for everyone to see I break it down and put it in the Safari bow case. Works great!!!
I have an Acs and it never gets taken apart. But if needed to I could.
I HAVE A cHEK MATE H2 AND IT WILL GET TAKEN DOWN WHEN I HEAD TO TEXAS THIS FALL OR EARLY WINTER.
I would love to have a take down but I have only flown once to hunt elsewhere. Still want a 2 piece though!
I have a 3 piece recurve and a two piece longbow. I prefer the lines of a one piece but on my recurve the limbs are flush and my longbow is a sleeve two piece so you wouldn't know by looking at them that they came apart. I wouldn't have my longbow any other way and still think of it as a longbow. (for me if it has a recurve riser, etc. it's a hybrid). I bring both when I fly and just throw them in my luggage. I don't take them down otherwise.
I break them down only when I am traveliing or going through real thick bush with my horse.
I had a friend who had his one piece strung in a scabbard and the scabbard caught some brush and the scabbard bent and busted his bow...maybe if it hadn't been strung it wouldn't have broke - wee will never know.
Ruined his trip.
I had two sets of limbs and one riser so I couldn't even help him out.
The ability to have extra limbs is nice to - but dosn't work for a 2 piece though.
jer
I have a 3 piece recurve and a 3 piece hybrid. I typically only take them down when I fly. Much easier to travel with. I can typically fit my bow, arrows, and all the rest of my gear into a single duffle.
Flint, you could just cut that Miller and fit it with a sleeve. Ya feelin' lucky? :D
Love my 3 pc pronghorn and 3 pc Bob Lee.
A little more mass. They are my best performing bows and they provide more options
I have quite a few 3 piece and 2 piece bows. For air travel I like a short two piece longbow the best because it is slim and light. The 3 piece bows are even shorter and do allow for an extra set of limbs, which is very nice too. My one piece bows are great for many purposes, but I doubt I will order too many more of them. They just are not as versatile as a takedown. If you travel with your bow, get a takedown.
Allan
Another advantage is that 3-pc TDs generally have a bit more weight through the riser section which I find more pleasant to shoot. The travel option is a plus.
Flint i'm waiting for Nate to begin building with the composite sleeves to get my TD! Best of everything - Hill bow, Hill grip, short package, and he can retrofit my existing bows no problem!
Ken :archer:
I fly with my bow, a 3 piece Pronghorn, a couple times a year. The bow was specifically purchased because of this. With all the luggage regulations these days, T/D is the ONLY way to fly! The bow, arrows, extra string, and glove all go in a plastic tube that fits in my backpack, one checked bag, no extra fees. A guy (or gal) needs a legit excuse to justify another bow, right? This is it!
I honestly hardly ever take mine down. I wanted takedown for "just incase" I go somewhere. I do have one of mine taken down and its put in a padded gun case. Otherwise I never do it. Both of mine were probably taken down only twice.
I travel quite a bit for hunting and have used both 3 piece takedowns and one piece bows. I prefer to use 1 piece bows the majority of the time so I've taken to sending the bow ahead of me via UPS. That way I think is safer than flying with the bow, I get so nervous the airline will lose/damage the bow. Probably just me being overly cautious though. I have traveled with takedowns in my bag several times and had no problems. I guess it depends on what you like to use and how much of a worrier you are :D
Bought a 75# 3pc TD Bear Hunter as backup to my 1pc LB's. Never left the rack in 10 years. Sold long ago.
I mostly buy 3 pc. takedowns. It is handy for travel. I have never flown with them, but for long car travel, they take up less room.
My original thought was that it would be a cheaper way to go. Two sets of limbs are cheaper than two bows. Someday maybe I will buy that extra set of limbs, but for now I keep buying the whole bow. Black Widow just makes too many different models. LOL!!
I have a checkmate hunter II which I love!!
I used to have horses so it would get taken down for that. I am going to do a drop camp for bear here in oregon in a couple months and will take it down for that. I also got a takedown because I like the way it feels in my hand better.
To me it always seemed like a good option to have the takedown capability, so I do own a couple of bows that are TD's. The truth of the matter is, though, that I very seldom find a need to take a bow apart. My favorite bow is a one-piece HH Tembo; next to that is a St. Charles Pacific Yew TD - can't remember the last time I took the Pacific Yew apart. Generally it is easier to just load it in my truck as a one-piece. If I flew somewhere I'm sure I would use the take-down feature.
Once I got my palmer recurve thats all I use for hog hunting in florida. I bought the LL Bean rolling duffle ( which is under 10 lbs ) that hasa bottom compartment and the riser, limbs and arrow tube goes in there wrapped with clothes. Then the rest of my gear goes in the duffle. It wasa mustthis year since I got three nice hogs and had to put some of the frozen meat in the duffle since my cooler was filled with 50lbs of meat. Having the take down saved me $100 of airline fees.
I have t/d's that have traveled some but for around home I tend towards 1 piece bows. Like the added weight in my t/ds and add quivers to the 1 pieces just to have a little more weight.
I have both takedowns and one piece but prefer the one piece. I seldom get on a plane so it's no big deal. They are normaly lighter and with a quiver added they are just right weight wise for me.
I have one piece longbows, two piece TD longbows, and a three piece TD recurve. Only take them down when I fly/travel. Will never fly with anything but a TD. Just too much hassle. If you ever plan a fly-in hunt, get yourself a TD. You'll be glad you did. Heck, if you prefer 66"+ Howard Hill bows, a TD makes life a lot easier when traveling by truck or car as well. :thumbsup:
I have 3-pc. longbows and recurves. My hunting is generally close to where I live. So, I rarely take them down. I prefer 3-pc. because of the heavier mass weight for shooting (quiet, tighter groups, less hand shock). If I'm ever lucky enough some day to save up enough money for a hunting trip out West, I've got my takedown 3-pc. for traveling.
QuoteOriginally posted by flint kemper:
I have had the urge to own a takedown longbow for several years. I prefer the 2 piece not 3 piece. For those of you who have either a 2 or 3 piece how often do you break it down? Is it really absolutely needed for trips where you are flying or is it just a convenience thing? Thanks for replies. Flint
It does make it easier but during the season I dont break it down...... I like mine though for when i can break it down throw it in the truck. When I am not nessisarly hunting but want to keep one handy in case the need arises
Yes, I need one or think I do. I once owned a Jay St. Charles double shelf take down and let it go. Wish I could find and buy it back. One of the mistakes I've made.
I've tried 3 pc and they don't seem to fit comfortably. I will purchase another 2 pc.
One thing I noticed that I hadn't thought about when I bought a 1-piece (Blacktail Elite VL which I love) intead of a TD, the 1-piece is signficantly lighter in the hand. Some might like that others might be concerned about stability, hand-shock, noise, etc. So far, I'm shootig 3 of my TDs and the 1-piece all in the same sessions (draw weights are withing 1-2 pounds) and my results appear identical. I really like the lines of a 1-piece and I almost never take a TD apart.
I love the lines of a one piece,but since i am an International bowhunter i take in consideration only a 3 pieces bow.Too easy to pack to carry spare limbs,more mass and stability.I play with one piece i make some serious hunting with the TD.
QuoteOriginally posted by cacciatore:
I love the lines of a one piece,but since i am an International bowhunter i take in consideration only a 3 pieces bow.Too easy to pack to carry spare limbs,more mass and stability.I play with one piece i make some serious hunting with the TD.
exactly my take, too. i fly out for hunts and a t/d is far more easy to luggage on planes.
With the air lines charging up to 50 dollars for extra luggage that's a lot of money if you make a few hunting trips a year that would be a 100 dollars each trip so a take-down will pay for its self over time......stabow
plus, many - if not all - of the 2pc t/d bows (longbow and recurve) really do feel like a 1pc, with not many added ounces of weight (which is all in the riser center section, which can be a good thing). if i hadda have but one stickbow, it's be a t/d, for sure!
I expect to hunt locally with the 1-piece bows and when I travel I'll take a TD. The neat thing is, at least the distances I'm currently shooting (20 yards and less) I can detect very little difference if any, in my results. This similarity of result is, I think quite a testimant to the quality of custom bows. Of course it doesn't hurt that I'm a form freak as well.
I've got quite a few bow's but only one takedown. It's a 3 piece hybrid. I do most of my shooting and hunting with it because I like the extra weight. Never take it apart but will be nice to if the need arises.
I fly a lot to Italy. A 2-piece T/D is a must. Get the hinge, you won't notice the difference and it has less effect on overall weight. I also drive to the range, so on a motorcycle, I take it apart at least 3 times a week. Couldn't shoot at all with a one-piece. Mohawk and Northern Mist do great hinge T/Ds.
I have a few GN Jack Knife TDs that are incredibly easy and fast to take down. I have a compact truck and anything over 60" is a bit of trouble to get behind the seat. I can un-brace the GN, put it into a bow sock/Plano arrow tube and behind the truck seat in 30 seconds or so, the reverse is almost as fast, but I'll generally check my brace height also. I can't think of a way that the bow can be damaged, short of a vehicle fire. A few arrows and my SAM tab attached to the Arrowmaster quiver and I have my whole kit protected and available for use pretty quickly. We have some property about 8 miles from our home and the GNs switch in and out of TD mode several times monthly.
Not at present. If I decide on another in the future it would be a 2 pc. I prefer a straight grip or slight index and the 3 pc I've owned didn't seem to blend for me.
The 3 pc T/D's shot as good as my other bows if not better but didn't feel like an extension to my arm.
I've never owned a take down longbow,but I do own two take down recurves.
Even though I have the option I've never taken them down for the many helicopter fly in trips I've made.
On the one trip I made where I had to fly domestic fixed wing,I did take my bow down and felt much more comfortable about it than my three buddys that stressed out over their one piece longbows through out the whole flight.
I'm currently in the process of selling off some bits an pieces I don't really need to buy a new longbow and If the extra price wasn't such an issue for me,it would be a take down.
I think that even if you never need it,it's still a good option.